Courtyard houses turn inward without feeling closed. Their central open space provides daylight and greenery while the building itself creates a buffer from streets, neighbors, and wind.
An outdoor room
The strongest courtyards are composed like interior rooms. They have clear edges, useful proportions, and more than one way to enter. Planting, paving, water, and shade determine whether the space is merely admired or regularly inhabited.
Privacy with permeability
Glass facing a protected court can be far more expansive than glass facing a public edge. That allows adjacent rooms to feel open without making daily life feel exposed.